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Ideology Impedes Storytelling in Battle for Terra
A visually arresting 3-D film, Terra suffers from too much liberal preaching.
Battle for Terra is the space yarn George Lucas would write if he let his liberal ideology infect his word processor.
The new CGI film, told in luxurious 3-D, feels like a Star Wars spin-off with a hearty helping of pacifistic pieties. But Lucas’s last Star Wars outing, the CGI Clone Wars, can’t compare to the visually arresting Terra.
The new movie’s eclectic casting choices — no Steve Carell, Jim Carrey, or Seth Rogen here — gives Terra an added texture and a sorely needed whiff of originality.
Battle for Terra begins on the peaceful planet of Terra, a land where harmony rules and war is a thing of the past. How did they progress that far? It’s a bit fuzzy, but citizens aren’t allowed to disobey the Elders, and it’s a no-no to create things of which said Elders disapprove.
In other words, the Terrans traded freedom for peace. And that’s a good thing, or so the film implies.
Their idyll is shattered when spaceships start swooping down and collecting Terran citizens. Turns out Earthlings long ago destroyed their planet, plus Mars and Venus, through war and indiscriminate foraging of their natural resources.
War for oil. Got it.
So now the remaining Earthlings live on a crumbling space station orbiting Terra, and the plan is to conquer and colonize Terra for themselves.
At least that’s the vision offered up by Gen. Hemmer (the great Brian Cox proving he’s a natural for animated projects). The general sees no problem obliterating an entire species just to keep his own alive. The Earthling’s president, a black character who in no way resembles our current leader, protests the plan but can’t share an appealing alternative.
In the liberal story world concocted here, just opposing Plan A is enough. No Plan B is required.
Battle for Terra gets personal when Mala, a rebellious Terran teen voiced by Evan Rachel Wood, rescues a fallen Earth soldier named Jim Stanton (Luke Wilson). The two grudgingly work together during the film’s middle sequences, the sharpest of the entire film.
Naturally, Jim is quick to judge and quicker to fight, but Mala teaches him to respect her fellow Terrans. And that doesn’t sit well with Gen. Hemmer, whose evil bona fides are cemented when he makes a passing reference to the Bible.
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Christian Toto is a freelance writer and film critic for The Washington Times. His work has appeared in People magazine, MovieMaker Magazine, The Denver Post, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and Scripps Howard News Service. He also contributes movie radio commentary to three stations as well as the nationally syndicated Dennis Miller Show and runs the blog What Would Toto Watch?
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15 Comments
1. BPT (Australia):I thought it was impossible for anti-Bush moviemakers to patronise Americans more. I was wrong.
May 2, 2009 - 2:40 am 2. 1GooDDaDDy:I attended a pre-screening on Wed. with my 11 year old son, his friend, also 11, and my 8 year old son.
I haven’t read anything about the movie over the months, nor viewed any “trailers” of the film. I went in completely looking forward to enjoying a SciFi film with my boys with no preconceptions on what I was about to see.
The first third of the film was breathtaking and imaginative. The little intelligent creatures were endearing and sympathetic.
Then, a maniacal, insane military general takes over the earth ship by force with the use of his soldiers and begins a plan to eradicate every living thing on the planet justifying doing so because “It’s us or them.”
Time line gaffs.
Humans use up resources on earth = for the sake of argument say, 1,000 years.
Terra forming Mars and Venus = another 300+ years.
Over two generations traveling to “Terra” = about 70 to 100 years.
Now.
Tell me then, how was it possible after over 1,500 years, that the rows and rows of military campaign ribbons on the crazy generals chest were ALL CURRENT American ribbons, including ALL of the medals awarded to servicemen from the VIET NAM WAR, including a purple heart with a gold star and Silver Star. I’m a Viet Nam Vet and I have the very same ribbons awarded to me. I’m not just “mistaken.” The film is 3D and High Def, you can see every thread.
Hollyweird at it’s best, indoctrinating their audience, including children, by making, (once again), the villain a genocidal madman with American medals on his chest. (When there were no wars for over 100 years).
I’m sure this production Co., (“Snoot”. That’s toons spelled backwards, their logo), new exactly what it was doing.
There was a representative from the film Co. there asking for “comments” after the screening. I gave mine to her, pretty much what I’ve written here to you, and told her that I was going to “pass the word” on there obvious attempt to indoctrinate their audience with this PC crap.
She and her male aid merely rolled their eyes at me and said, “I’ll pass that along to the Studio”
When pigs fly.
Save your entertainment dollars folks, and “pass” on the DVD then it comes out.
Not Over.
May 2, 2009 - 4:56 am 3. LizBert:If this is the only way some people can digest knowledge then someone needs to make a 3-D cartoon about the thousands year old conflict between Jews and Muslims. Using the voices of experience for the cute little characters: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Nonie Darwish, Bridgitte Gabriel, Ibn Warraq, Robert Spencer, Roger L. Simon, John Wayne (I wish).
May 2, 2009 - 8:41 am 4. hdgreene:So the environmentalist did succeed in destroying planet earth! Surely that was an unintended consequence. Apparently, the only survivors came from certain counties in West Virgina. Well, I can believe that. There is a lot of tough and resourceful folks in that state. I’m glad they pulled humanity through.
May 2, 2009 - 11:05 am 5. ILikeIke:I’d take your word for it, but from your description, I fail to see the “liberal ideology.” Perhaps the movie truly is a commentary on the Bush years, but does that automatically make it “liberal?”
May 2, 2009 - 11:13 am 6. mishu:but does that automatically make it “liberal?”
Yes, because Christian made no mention of TARP.
May 2, 2009 - 11:37 am 7. K:If you check out the movie’s website, clicking through to the opening vid shows the human motherships, which have the shape of the Christian cross. They’re also running a contest for 3rd through 8th graders, just the folks they’d like to reach.
I once was berated by a leftist about how horrible the human race was. I asked him what his standard for comparison was amongst sapient species? Of course, he had no answer, but it points out the origin for such movies as Terra and things like “Ferngully, the Last Rainforest”. If you can’t draw a comparison, then make up one and feed it to the children. From such compose hippy larve grow.
May 2, 2009 - 1:50 pm 8. Dylan:Ugh, its not enough adult sci-fi has gone down the human hating hole, they try to shove it at kids. I remember Ferngully growing up. All the messages were over my head, and I just saw pretty colors. Same thing with this.
May 2, 2009 - 2:34 pm 9. Stergeye:Going straight to my “Miss it if you can” file.
May 2, 2009 - 3:10 pm 10. Christian Toto:1gooDaddy … thanks for your feedback. I’m sorry they were so dismissive to you … I imagine that’s just how ideologues are. It’s a shame, since the movie has some compelling elements. I don’t know why creative types feel compelled to alienate potential customers.
May 2, 2009 - 5:53 pm 11. Individualist:1GooDDaddy
Thanks for the heads up. This stuff is so offensive to me. These same liberals are now promoting these wounded warrior programs touting how we should all be nice and respect the veterans. It sickens me. They do that and then publish this crap.
HEY LIBERALS IF YOU HAVE TO REMIND YOURSELVES to respect veterans then guess what. YOU HAVE ALREADY FAILED. This is something that requires no reminder. You either do or you don’t.
I find liberals to be the most obnoxious hipocrits.
May 2, 2009 - 10:43 pm 12. Synova:I’m a wee bit confused.
“Terra” is another name for Earth. Thus, humans are Terrans… always have been.
Was this done on purpose?
And while 3-D seems to be popping up everywhere lately, (pun intended), I rented “Journey to the Center of the Earth” for the kids and it sucked… because of course we didn’t have the 3-D glasses to wear.
I doubt we’ll see “Battle for Terra” in the theater and it’s absolutely certain that we won’t rent it.
May 2, 2009 - 10:47 pm 13. Boogey_Man:If a studio could be built that would make movies with all the new wiz bang effects but with the old story telling styles, they would rake in the $$.
May 3, 2009 - 6:12 pm 14. Forlourned:I watched this movie by buying a ticket for ‘Wolverine’ since the ads seen where rather liberal. I saw it and if it was good, but reluctantly buy a ticket for the movie afterward. It started like a hippy heaven routine but became interesting halfway to suddenly lose me completely at the end of halfway.. what a rotten ride I went thru.
The ending left me with a headache because they tried to show me that humanity where a bunch of morons and being caged is Great!
May 3, 2009 - 8:37 pm 15. GtrPykr:Did anyone else notice that if you shortened the general’s chin and added a few wrinkles to his forehead, he’d look a LOT like Bush? The producers stopped short also at giving him a pseudo-Texas accent. I suspect it was for the same reasons they, in what looks to me like an afterthought move, lengthened the chin and lost the wrinkles: they would limit their audience only to rabid Bush haters and hardcore leftists always on the lookout for new indoctrination material for their kids.
I take my kids to see animated films because I want them to experience what is usually amazing visual imagery and delightfully outlandish character development, so it makes me angry when someone attempts to use the medium as just another tool to politically indoctrinate the innocent.
Ticket sales so far are dismal, so, with luck, the outrageously misnamed “The Battle For Terra” won’t be polluting movie theaters – and the minds of those too intellectually immature to understand its blatant political symbolism – for long.
May 3, 2009 - 10:42 pm